Keaton Mara once lived through a hell created by the most detestable malefactor she has ever known. Ready to put the worst behind her, she returns to the life she once abandoned with Noah, the man who arguably broke her and saved her simultaneously, at her side.

Noah Oliver is on what he believes to be an ordained mission. Purging the evil from the world is a crucial element of his personal vendetta. The seduction of the tormented souls, enticing them to give in to their temptations, accompanies his central mission.

Without Noah’s sanctuary to keep his more depraved desires satisfied, and with Keaton attempting to adopt a normal life, Noah faces an inescapable conflict.

Can Noah keep the devil off his back, or will the individuals he has the grandest plans for witness his wrath when they fall from grace?

My body was riddled with agony; the slightest touch brought about an excruciating sensation. The pangs superseded any ability to have an orgasm. Whether he tasted me, or cradled me in his arms, and plunged into me—carefully, slowly, adoringly—there was no pleasure to be had.

Hovering over me, he watched me as a creeping look of satisfaction displayed itself across his face. He grabbed my chin, forcing me to look up at him as the tears steadily streamed down my cheeks. “I’ve never loved someone as much as I love you, and it’s why I hurt you so much.” He clasped his hand to my neck with hardly any pressure and pressed his lips to mine. “Circumstances have changed. My needs have changed. I need you to love me as much as I love you. No one ever has. I need you to love me, and I need you to become my wife.”

I was thrust immediately from one emotion to the next. I couldn’t dissect what I felt; I didn’t want to.

Stark naked, he pulled out of me and lifted off the bed, disappearing for a while. When he returned, he held two white pills in his hand and a glass of water in the other. Lifting my head through my winces, he placed the pills one by one into my open mouth and tipped the glass of water to my lips. He stared at me as I glared at him. His lips moved as though he had something to say but couldn’t find the right words to verbalize it.

On the brink of his phone ringing, he released me and reached across the bed to grab his phone. He became visibly agitated over whatever he saw.

Preparing to leave, he left me with his last words of the night before he disappeared, “There are only so many times you can pretend to be something you’re not before the real you cracks through. You need this, princess, as much as I need it. You breathe for me like I breathe for you. Stop holding your breath, thinking you will survive without me.” He delayed and dropped his chin. His eyes were shielded by his dark, thick eyelashes. His words were barely heard, “The devil’s whispers are quieter when I’m with you.”

From the first page this book pulled me and wouldn’t let go. The characters where easy to get involved with and you wanted to know more. So dark, so twisted, so good! I couldn’t get enough of this book!

BARB GIVES

Book One in the series

The Sect (Wicked Trinity, Book #1)

Keaton Mara ran away from a life that had become a nightmare to live on the streets. While the location she now calls home is a dangerous place, she is protected by an unlikely friendship.

The streets provided her with the education she could’ve never earned from the prestigious university she attended. Regrettably, the term ‘educated fool’ becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. Due to meeting a man with whom she shares a captivating chemistry with, her judgment is clouded, resulting in a fateful decision.

The consequence of trusting the prepossessing stranger results in her being stolen away to a place unknown. Her deceptive new surroundings are just as beautiful as the people who reside there. She discovers that it’s a place where the culture of sex without limits or morals is their religion.

Keaton quickly begins to realize that the beautiful scenery serves to hide a very dark truth. The seductive and enigmatic man–who lured her there–desires to save her soul. His intentions are sinister, because saving her soul is synonymous with breaking her.

Because Keaton believes her soul was brutally stolen from her many years ago, she thinks he can’t save (or destroy) something she no longer has.

COURTNEY LANE has been creating her own little world since she was very young.

While many of her works touch several different genres, she has an archetype when it comes to the female protagonists in her stories — they have to have certain brand of strength, be deeply flawed, and harbor layered personalities. In her books you will find themes that reflect the darker side of life with a tremendous amount of depth and complexity. She also has an affinity for characters that aren’t necessarily the girl or boy next door, or the people you’d encounter in everyday life. In other words, she prefers to explore characters who aren’t easy to fall in love with.

Currently, Courtney can be found either working on her next book, playing the latest role-playing game on her X-Box (preferably a game by BioWare), or spending time with her family